Kent has the fifth highest number of drownings in the UK – and a charity is warning people are more at risk than ever.

Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) figures show 623 people drowned in the UK in 2019.

In Kent, the number fell by 4% last year, from 23 to 22, yet the county still ranks as the fifth highest in the country – with 116 fatalities in the past five years.

The charity is fearful there could be a "significant rise" across the UK this summer when lockdown restrictions are lifted.

And with the reduced beach lifeguard services, as a result of the pandemic, it says people are "more at risk now than ever before".

As part of its Drowning Prevention Week campaign, from June 12 to 19, the RLSS is appealing for people to learn basic water safety, rescue skills and build their confidence in, on and around the water.

Now in its seventh year, the campaign offers families and children free access to lessons on how to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Chief executive Robert Gofton said: "We are extremely concerned that this summer will see people rushing to jump into the water without proceeding with caution and understanding the potential life-threatening implications.

"Although amazing work has been done to reduce the number of accidental drownings across the UK and Ireland, this year has been unprecedented in so many ways. We have witnessed a recent increase in public euphoria and risk-taking behaviour.

"Kent has a particularly high rate of drowning incidences and we urge as many people as possible to access our resources to learn how to stay safe.

"RLSS UK believes that the majority of drowning incidents can be prevented. By learning to recognise to the potential dangers and becoming confident in how to respond to an emergency, you could save a life."

Last month, the RNLI confirmed just three beaches in Kent would have lifeguards in the coming weeks.

The charity usually provides a lifeguard service on 13 of the county's beaches but, due to the challenges posed by coronavirus and social distancing rules, it had to choose "priority beaches" based on a number of factors including risk and footfall.

These were Leysdown beach, Viking Bay and Margate, but the charity said it was hopeful it would be able to cover more this summer.

For more information on the Drowning Prevention Week, click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent